Across Australia, universities and governments say increasing the numbers of Indigenous graduates is one of the main priorities in tertiary education.

First Nations people are still considerably underrepresented in our universities. They make up 1.9% of domestic higher education students, compared with 3.3% of the total Australian population.

While there are many programs and policies designed to encourage and support Indigenous people to enrol, many of the systems designed to improve participation are still shaped mainly by non-Indigenous decision-makers.

If universities want to improve Indigenous participation, policies and programs must be shaped not only for Indigenous students. They need to be guided by their voices and priorities.

What do Indigenous students themselves say matters when deciding whether or not university is for them?

In our new study, we spoke to Indigenous students about their university experiences. More specifically, what factors shaped their decision-making around going to university?

We used individual storytelling and focus groups where people shared stories in their own way. Through autobiographies, yarning sessions and interviews, First Nations participants shared rich insights into their journeys to higher education.

This study involved 37 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander university students, recruited with support from two Western Australian university Indigenous centres through email and social media. To protect their identities, we used pseudonyms. Where possible, we noted their Country affiliation.

Students came from different communities and backgrounds. Some came straight from school. Others entered university later in life. Some were........

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